Creed frontman Scott Stapp is back, better than ever

Scott Stapp doesn't hold back on
his solo album, "Proof of Life." He readily admits his past substance abuse
could've prematurely taken his life.

In "Slow Suicide," the album's rousing
rock anthem, Stapp sings, "'It's no secret. ... I can't pretend/I can't forget.
What I've done. ... Everyday I live with the consequences. I let it beat me/let
it kick me/let it throw me to the floor."

Yet, he also sings, "Those days
are over. I'm moving forward. It can't hurt me. Now I believe." And, "I can't
let this life pass me by."

"Proof of Life" is Stapp's
evidence, his testimony, that better days - and better actions - await him.

On "Dying to Live," Stapp sings, "What
I thought was all of my life story/turns out it was only just one page. It's a
new beginning. I have got so much left to say."

In a recent phone interview, Stapp
said, "Things are going great.

"It's been an interesting journey.
And I think, just being human, it has its struggles and its dark times, as well
as its times of light and happiness. It's awesome to be coming out of a dark
period in my life and starting to live in the light, and in this new change and
new season in my life."

"Proof of Life" follows Stapp's
2012 memoir, "Sinner's
Creed," which, likewise, served as a means to clear the air and inspire others
to beat addiction.

"You know, I think there have been
times when it's been very challenging (to share)," Stapp said. But when he would offer half-truths or
"candy-coat" what was happening in his life, "I found that wasn't working for
me."

"It was important for me as a
human being, and what I do, and who I am, to be authentic. To be real," Stapp
said. "And I found that, as I began to do that, it affected every area of my
life, and helped me be free to be who I am.

"Also it's helped in giving my
life more of a purpose than just rock 'n' roll music. That purpose is to share
my experiences - the good, the bad and the ugly - and seeing that it connects
with others.

"In sharing that, not only does it
connect, but it's given strength, and other people have been helped by that. So
that makes me feel like I'm doing more than just playing in a rock band."

Talking about his past, and
meeting fans who've experienced their own struggles, "it also keeps me
accountable," Stapp said. "It adds another level of thought process before I
may go down a road. It's also a level of responsibility.

"I'm far from perfect, and I'm far
from having arrived. I just try to live my life 24 hours at a time."

"I'm real and authentic about the
fact that I'm human, and I'm sure I'll make more mistakes," he said. "But
that's just life. That's what we all do."

Stapp, of course, rose to fame at
the turn of the century with his Grammy-winning band, Creed, and their mega-hit
songs "My Own Prison," "What's This Life For," "Torn," "One," "Higher," "With
Arms Wide Open" and "My Sacrifice."

While fame and fortune were
welcome, Stapp said the spotlight amplified his own inner struggles.

"Success, sometimes, can just
magnify our core issues, and our core struggles, and our core frailties," he
said. "I think that, in coming up in the business, you know, at least for me, I
was very passionate, and dedicated, and worked really, really hard - which is a
requirement to make it in this business.

"And then, you know, when you get
there, you're still that same person, except everything you do is magnified on
a stage and kind of surreal and not real. Whatever things in your life that
were out of balance and not right just get magnified, in my opinion, times
100."

When Stapp was at death's door, it
was his Christian faith that brought him back to life.

"In every way possible it has (helped
me)," he said. "I think I experienced years in my early 20s and all the way up
into my early 30s where I still had remnants of doubt. I would still ask
questions about certain things.

"All that has been wrapped up.
Through this process that I went through at this period in my life, the doubt
was removed. My faith and my beliefs are firm - they're strong. There's no
question, because I've seen it manifest in my life. I've lived it. There's no
questioning or denying that."

Today, at the age of 40, Stapp is
touring in support of "Proof of Life," a rock album that boldly declares he is
bigger than his past.

"This album symbolizes so much to
me personally," he said. "It's like the ending of a period - a long period in
my life - and the beginning of a new one. It really symbolizes that transition
and the start of the next chapter in my life. And so, yeah, it definitely,
definitely felt good. ... It's kind of like taking a step forward. It was a
definite sense of accomplishment and also just relief."

Stapp will perform at 8 p.m. Friday,
June 27, at Seneca Niagara Casino's Bear's Den Showroom. Tickets, starting at $45,
are available at the venue and through Ticketmaster.

"It's an anthemic rock sound, and
it's also very much a journey of emotions and moods and feelings and
experiences with peaks and with valleys," Stapp said of his live show. "It's
interactive. It pulls on the heart and soul of the band, and those in the
audience - however they want to tap in.

"It's rock 'n' roll. ... It's just a
rock 'n' roll where its themes are a little deeper - not only deeper into the
emotional realm and the psyche of being human, but also into the spiritual, and
everything in between. It's different from the rock that proceeded it because
(of) the themes and the peaks and valleys of where the emotions go. It runs the
gamut of the human experience. It's not just stuck in anger, or sex and drugs.
It's the full spectrum of being human, in all of our senses, as well as our
spirit."

Stapp works hard to present a live
show fans won't soon forget.

"One thing that's always been
very, very important to me is being an entertainer and being in the now within
each song, and connecting with that material with passion - with feeling - and
then letting the music overtake me and almost possess me with the vibes. And
bringing every bit of energy and feeling that I can to every song and
performance, and connecting that with the audience," he said. "In terms of
sonically, it's got everything that you could want in a rock show. It's got
power, emotion, the electric guitars, the big drums, the technical expertise ...
the mood, the vibe, but also a performance.

"It's not just, you know, you see
a band that's just standing there kind of banging their head. It's an
experience. It's a performance. It's a show in every sense of the word, with
drama definitely involved in that.

"It's definitely unique in that
regard. And it's powerful. I think that everyone who comes will be able to see,
feel that. I'm excited to bring that there."